College Life
by AliceSwift
Summary: It's Bella's first year of college and she's really nervous. It doesn't help that everyone seems to be hung up on the hotteset guy on campus-Edward Cullen,who has a secret no human can know. Will his secret keep them apart or will love prevail?Find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Here's another new story, this one is placed around present time. Bella's in college just so you know, she's about nineteen. Here goes nothing.**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift

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I woke up to the sound of rain and thunder in my new apartment. First day of college, last day of new beginings.

"Bella!" I heard my roomate Angela call.

"Yeah?" I said with a groan.

"Just making sure you were up, hurry up and get dressed, we can go get coffee before class."

"Okay." I mumbled into my pillow. I lay there for a second, until I felt myself going back to sleep. I stood up and walked to the small, plain,white closet in the corner of my room. Of course the room wouldn't stay white for long, Angela and I just had to decided on a color. The apartment was small and not many people wanted it, part of the reason it was so cheap. We had taken our beds from our houses and moved them in here, we had a few lamps laying here and there on some small tables we had found a thrift store near campus. We had also boughten a small couch. The appartment only had a small lving room that was conntected to the kitchen, one bedroom, then a tiny bathroom. We had just gotten moved in last weekend, we'd been figuring out scedules and classes, any other time we were looking for jobs. We were both paying our own way through college, our paretns had no money and we didn't want to strain them anymore than they already were.

I had laid out my clothes the night before in an effort to get some what organzied or planed. Since we were in Seattle, and it was pretty cold here right now, fall coming to an end, the outfit was very warm. Some dark and distressed jeans, huge white straings going across the thighs and knees. I put those on, followed by a light gray tank top. I finished my clothing with a dark brown blazer with about a million different pockets on it. I didn't put any jewlery on except for a brown leather braclett I had had since my first day of kindergarden. of course my wrist had grown, but I had mae the leather stretch so it would fit perfectly. I put on subtle brwon eyeshadow and some black eyeliner and mascarra and a red glossy lip. I grabbed my hair brush and pulled it through my tangled mess I had for locks, soon it was again my brown loose curls like normal.

"Bella!"

"Coming." I yelled back at Angela. I pulled my boots on, my black jacket, thick mittens, and my wool scarf. I grabbed my bag which inclued my text books, binders, pens and pnecils, my cell phone, keys, and my wallet. I slung it over my shoulder, turned off the ligths, and shut the door behind me as I left the room. I saw Anglea in her tan coat, black ballet flats, and light blue jeans in the doorway waiting.

"Come one it's almost five thrity." she said locking the door.

"Okay." I said turning off the lights behind her.

We walked through the building and into the parking garage. We both got in my truck and Angela jumped as I started the engine, obviously not use to that kind of noise this early in the morning. She had to sell her car to help pay for college, my tuck certaintly wasn't worth anything, so I kept it. The trade off was that it wasn't just my truck anymore, sure it was in my name, but Angela took it anywhere she went, not that I minded.

I pulled out of my spot and turned down seven levels before we hit the street below. I drove up the busy street and turned onto North Avenue. Our place was only about ten minutes away from school, so it wouldn't cost that muge to get there and back. I pulled into the coffee shop a few blocks up the street and put it in park. I got out and locked it before pusing open the door. I was hit with the smell of mocha and vanilla latte`s as I entered. I got up to the counter and ordered a vanilla cappachino and Angela got herself a latte`. We both got our cups to go and paid the guy at the counter before heading back out into what looked like rain transforming slowly into snow. We got bakc in the truck and headed for school.

* * *

I had just picked a seat in my second class, so far the only people who I'd talked to were the teachers.

"Hey," a peppy voice came up behind me, her gum popping in my ear. "I'm Jessica." she satdown beside me and put her books down on the desk.

"Bella." I told her changing that whole teacher thing.

"Are you first year?" I nodded.

"This is my second year, but I couldn't get into any of the classes I wanted last year so I decided to hand around awhile.

"That's miserable." I said, hoping she didn't take it the wrong way.

"I guess it would be if I didn't have Mike, my boyfriend, he agreed to stay an extra year while I finished classes. He wanted to get in some extra classes too, but he was going to leave until I convinced him otherwise. Here he is now." she pointed at the doorway. I looked over then back at her, she was standing up and waving at him. He looked enthused to see her, but exhasuted at the same time.

He walked up the steps to us and took the empty seat next to Jessica.

"Hey Jess." he leaned down and kissed her, she smiled hugely.

"Who's this?" he asked politely with a smile.

"Oh this is Bella, it's her first year."

"Hey Bella, I'm Mike."

"Hi Mike." I said shaking his hand. Mike sat down and Jessica was still beaming.

"Okay class let's begin." the teacher began.

It was my last class of the day. I had to admit that high school hadn't _fully _prepared me for this.

"Angela!" I exclaimed to myself when I saw her talking to an asain boy down in the far left corner.

"Bella, hey." she gave me a hug and I could tell she was as happy as I was that we at least had one class together.

"Oh my God this is Bella?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, Eric, Bella, Bella, Eric." she guestered to us as she spoke.

"I thought you would come in here wearing a cape and telling us a tale of how you just saved the queen of england from being destroyed by a giant spider. The way Angela talks about you makes you sound like a super hero." he said.

"Well, Anglea's never talked about you. You guys just met today right?'

"Yeah, uh in my fourth class." Angela confirmed eyeing the clock. She sat down, there was one seat next to her so he let me have it and took the next closet thing, behind her. I was eyeing the room when I glanced at the doorway at just the right second.

", you're just in time please do find a seat and quickly." the teacher said as he made his way to the row in front of us. Stiffening as he grew closer to Angela and I. He sat a few rows down and the teacher started the lesson.

"He's so pretty." Angela sai dbiting her lip. I heard Eric scoff from behind us, she was too engrossed in his looks to notice.

"Who is he?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, but after class I'm going to find out." she claimed as she got out her notebook and started to write in her small neat hand.

"Mind if I come with you?"

"No, I could use the help."

* * *

We had no luck, as soon as class was dismissed he bolted out the door. He flew out and by teh time we had shoved past the rest of the students he was long gone.

Later that night Angela and I were listening to music and cooking dinner, who knew an ancient microwave from my paretns and Ramen Noodles from the conveinient store could be so useful. We were just about to dive into our homework when there was a knock at the door.

"I got it." I told Angela as I headed for the door. It was Jessica, she was balling. Holding a small cardboard box of things, no Mike in sight.

"Jessica. What happened?" I asked, gesturing for her to come in.

"Mike. Br-broke u-u-up with meeeeeeeeeee." she plopped herself down on the couch and sobbed.

"Um Bella?" I heard Angela from the kitchen.

"It's fine, this is Jessica. Her boyfriend Mike broke up with her."

"Oh that's terrible." Angela stopped what she was doing and came over to help clean her up. Just like her, she doesn't even know the person's last name but she'll help them through a heartbreak.

"Why'd he break up woth you?" she asked.

"H-h-he said that, that it ju-just wasn't working anymore...and that I should pack my th-things and go." she said sucking it up and trying to make herself presentable.

"Well you can stay here as long as you like." Angela offered.

"Great. Thanks you gus so much!" she gave us each a hug and we showed her where to sleep, she agreed to take the floor until she could get a bed together.

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So many things in one day. I thought to myself as I went to bed. A new school. New Friends. New hot guy. New roomate.

You name it...it's new to me.

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**Review review my name's AliceSwift on twitter. Check it. Peace.**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's college life**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift

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I thought I had gone completely insane the next day.

"Hey Bella," someone came up to me that I didn't know.

"Hi." I said skeptically.

"So I heard about that huge party your guys are having tonight, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be there."

"A party?"

"Yeah, what was her name? Jenneffer? No. Ugh no. Um Jessalyn. No that wasn't it either."

I got really mad then. "Jessica?" I asked.

"Yeah that was it, she was giving flyers out in the main hall and during Ms. Green's lecture today, alot of people are in her class so alot of us got them."

"Really?"

"Yeah I threw mine away but someone else should have one."

"Okay thanks..."

"Drew." he said shifting his books awkwardy from on arm to the other.

"Drew." I nodded my head. I pushed past him and on to the next person I swa. I askd them if they got the flyer and they handed it to me.

On bright neon green paper it read:

**PARTY TONIGHT!!!**

**WHERE? Dorm 203**

**WHEN? From ten to dawn**

**WHY? Cause some guys don't know how to treat their girlfriends right.**

**BE THERE AND READY TO PARTY!!!! IT'S GONNA BE WILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

_love, Jessica Stanley, Bella Swan and Angela Weber_

She signed my name to a paper that I had never seen before. This was clearly a copy and I idly wondered where the first one was. I knew that Jessica was in my next class, I would talk to her about it. I asked if I could keep it and they let me, not that I knew who the student was, or entirely cared too much.

"Angela wait up." I called down the hall. I wondered if she knew about this.

"Hey, Bella have you heard about this wild party we're having tonight?"

"Yeah I just found out about it." I rolled my eyes. "Jess is in my next class I tell her to call it off."

"Good, I'll see you later." I waved as she walked away.

* * *

Jessica wasn't in any of my classes all day long. When I got home I ofund her in bed sleeping.

"Jess!" I yelled and Angela, who was behind me, slammed the door behind her.

"What?!" she screamed back at me.

"Ow." I heard Angela say, she had got her thumb stuck in the door henge when she slammed it. I helped her get it out before speaking again.

"We need to talk."

"About what?!" She sounded really mad.

"About this 'wild party' that we're throwing that Angela and I had no part in planning."

"Yeah well, I need a bounce back party so you both can get over it." she stood up and went over to her dresser.

"No, you need to cancel it and the three of us can have a bounce back eighties movie night. I am not having hundreds of people in my appartment until three in the morning."

"Well it'll be longer than that." she dung around in her drawer for awhile before pulling out a pack of cigerettes. She pulled one out and lit it with a lighter from her bed stand. Angela and I glanced at eachother for a moment and I rolled my eyes. I walked over to her and took it ou of her mouth. I out it out in the open window sill.

"Hey!' She protested, like I cared.

"Well if you need a party you don't need these." I held up the pack and put it in my back pocket.

"Ugh, whatever." sha walked over to her bag of things and opened it up. She pulled out a pair of tattered, light blue jeans and a purple teeshirt with faded white print on the front. She was only wearing a pair of short-shorts and a tight tank top before she put them on.

"I'm going to the mall to find something to wear." she put on a pair of shiny, black pumps and picked up her gold purse from the couch. "Call me if you need me." she let the door swing shut behind her.

"Oh my God she is ridiculous." Angela said as she slung her bookbag down where Jess's purse had previously been, I out mine next her's and we both flopped down.

"Yeah well, I don't know about you but I think we should get started on that homework _before_ she comes back." Angela laughed and reached into her bookbag to get out our first assignment.

* * *

"Okay so did you find anything?" I asked. Angela and I had gone out searching for newspapers about an hour ago. It was around nine. I was looking on the computer for jobs that were availabel that might not have been listed in any of the papers.

"Um, I found one but it seems sort of...ify?" she shrugged..

"What is it?" I asked and looked over to her.

She pointed in the paper and I read what the job listed.

"Ew! Who would want to do that?" I asked.

"Someone who really likes cleaning houses."

"Not me, I wouldn't clean someone's house no matter how much they pay me." she laughed and crossed it off.

"Oh hey here's one, what about a job at a coffee shop?"

"That sounds promising." she said and looked over at the screen.

"Yeah, there's two spots open too that would be perfect, plus it's only about ten minutes away."

"Awesome, send in your application and I'll do mine later."

"Okay." I started typing and then there was a knock on the door. I got up and answered it.

"Hey guys! It is so gorgeous outside you guys should go out there for a few the breeze is amazing. Oh by the way Mike texted me and told me he would be here tonight and I didn't even invite him, so we'll see how that works out when he tries to get me back. Hey, I almost forgot, I got you guys both something to wear for tonight. I didn't know your exact sizes but I think they're pretty close one or two bigger or smaller, plus they're really hot. Oh and Derek called he's going to be in charge of music and Emily said she'll bring drinks, Casey told me that she would bring the food and all I would have to do was look amazing. With the shopping I just did..." she plopped down on the couch. "Mission accomplished."

Jessica. If you haven't figured that out already. She had seven huge bags that looked stuffed with clothing.

"Jess...where did you get the money to buy all that?"

"My parents. Dad's got lotsof money, I like to try to support myself though, when that fails or I'm feeling bad I go to him. He gave me a thousand dollars, so I have about five hundred left over." Oh wow. She tookoff her bug-eyed-like sunglasses and looked at me.

"So, um," I looked at Angela and she looked stunned. "You know that it's a school night right?" I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Heh," she pressed the tip of her tounge against the bottom row of her teeth. "Not for anayone who's coming to party."

"Um, Jess." I pressed my fingers together to make it look less like I was pointing at her. "I need to go to class, and so does Angela."

"So? Then go. I don't care." she stroked her hair and chewed her gum loudly.

"Well here's the thing. I don't want drunk people laying across my couch when I wake up to go tomorrow. I don't want thirty different people in my bed before I am. I don't want music blaring from my living room at four in the morning when some of us are trying to get sleep."

"Well then sleep somewhere else. This party is happening. It's gonna be a blast. I'm gonna look hot." she picked up four bags and split them in half. Hadning two to Angela and two to me . "You guys came come if you want."

Angela took hers then walked over ot me. "Come on Bella, I really do think she just wants to have some fun. We can both get to bed by midnight and if we put a sign on the door no one will bug us. We don't have to drink and we don't have to do anything we don't want to. But me? I want to have some fun too honeslty. I mean could it really hurtus that bad if we miss one day of school even if we are up all night? no. Besides aren't you the least bit curious to see what she got you?" I looked at her and she raised an eyebrow. I nodded.

"Great, Jess we'll be in our room getting ready of you want to join us." Angela said and Jessica nodded. I wouldn't out it past her to try to be 'fashionably late' for her own party.

"Let's go." I picked up my two bags from the floor and rolled my eyes. We walked in my room and spread the content of our two bags out on our sperate beds. Our room was basically two rooms put into one space. two beds, two bedsides tables, two desks and twoo bookshelves. There were even two closets. Perfect room to share.

The things that were on my bed somewhat shocked me. Tons of make-up, seven tops, six paris of jeans, five pairs of shoes, four skirts, three pairs of shorts, two jackets, and a new bra. Angela had the same. As I thought back in horror I realized Jess had three more bags. Wow.

"So..." Angela walked over, half stunned. "What're you gonna wear."

"I have no idea." I shook my head slowly.

"Do you think we should let Jess pick?" I saw the outfit she would pick. The shortest pair of shorts and the tight red straples top, alongside a pair of stilletos.

"No!" we both said at the same time, looking at eachother, wide eyes and laughing.

"No, I think we should pick eachother's." she offered.

"Okay." I walked over to her bed and noticed she had the same amount of things I did.

"No we have to wear whatever it is no matter what, but it can't be bad looking."

"Alright." I nodded.

So, about an hour later we were both dressed. Nothing too flashy or dramamtic like I imagined Jessica would be dressed in. She was wearing a long flowy pink top with a black satin ribbon across it. I had picked out dark skinny jeans and a pair of white heels that I thought would look good on her. She had curled her hair and put on some brown eyeshadow, thenblack eyeliner and mascara.

I was wearing a brown, form fitting, sweater with light jeans and ballet flats. Since I refused to put on make-up she did that too. She did the same hting to my face she did to hers except replaced the brown with a silver shimmery substance.

"Are you ready?" she asked as she finished brushing my hair.

"Nope."

"Me either. Let's go." I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and walked out of the room. Jessica was sitting on the couch where she had been before except she wasn't dressed in the same clothing. She stood up and walked over to us.

She had also curled her hair except Angela's naturally had more volume. She was wearing blue and green eyeshadow out to her corners and up to her eyebrow. She had loads of eyeliner and mascara on and was wearing a very nude liptsick. For clothes she had on a blue and green dress that stopped just above her knees, though underneath were a pair of leggings that stopped just below her knees. Her shoes were gold flats which suprised me. She actually didn't look that bad.

"What took you guys so long? People are going to start showing up soon."

"Are you sure?" I asked hopeful that no one would.

There was a knock on the door and alot of noise outside.

"Yeah I'm sure." she went over to the door and at least thirty people walked in, a few minutes later at least fifty came in again. In about an hour, with no exaggerations, there were at least twohundred and fifty people. Sure to be fun right?

* * *

I walked up to her door. There was sign it that said to come in.

"Edward!" I heard my sister yell down the hallway.

"Alice, what're you doing here?" I asked agrravated.

"Well you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me, besides youdidn't really think I was going to let you do this alone did you?"

"Let's go, who knows what trouble she's in now." she sighed and I opened the door.

The floor was vibrating and the walls shook. Loud music blasted my ears and my mind was cluttered with other people's pointless thoughts.

"Can you hear her?" Alice asked without looking at me.

"Not yet."

"Can you smell her?"

"I'm sure I can but is that really the thing I want to do right now?"

"Do you want me to try to find her?" she asked.

"I think it'll be best if we split up, do you know what she looks like?"

"Yes."

"Let me know if you find her."

"Same." we looked at eachother and nodded before walking in different directins.

I must have pushed throuh three hundred people. Millions of different thoughts running through my head, along with worries and mental pictures. I tried to listen, pick her voice out of thousands, but I couldn't. I began very distracted and my thoughts became flooded with every unimportant thought around me. They all sounded different though, not what hers would sound like. Though I had never hear them for myself, they wouldn't sound anything like what I was hearing.

I tried to channel in on Alice's thoughts. If she found her then I would have to be there right away to get her away from him, Alice wouldn't do it. She wasn't shy, but once she had seen something in a vision then she had this thing about keeping it that way. She might help me change it but she wouldn't do it herself.

I found her head and threw myself into it, blocking out every other thought in the room except for hers. She was trying to smell her blood to find her, and the thoughts her mind gave about the taste was too much for me to handle. I pulled myself out of her head and tried to keep to myself.

Then I heard him, Mike Newton. He had her totally cornered, trying to get her into a room with no one in it. The perfect opprotunity.

I charged through the crowd of people and was about to turn the corner when I heard them talking.

"Come on Bella, let's go." he said excitedly. She moaned and tried meakly to pull her wrist out of his hand, his grip so tight even he was worried about breaking bones.

"Let me go Mike." she said and tried to pull away again. She laughed then and gave up. I tried to see what she was laughing at but I couldn't get to her thoughts. Nothing.

I glanced down the hallway at them. He was still pulling her towards him, her feet were moving on the gray carpet sleepily trying to get away, but she was completely wasted and wasn't getting anywhere. He then turned and pinned her up against the door of the room. I sped down the hallway, pushed and shoved through the bodies, the near mindless people who had no idea what was going on just a few feet away from them.

"Mike." I said and he pretended not to hear me. He slammed the door before I could get to it, I grabbed the knob and twisted it. I held my breath as I swung the door open and slammed it behind me.

"Get out!" he said before turning around to see who it was, he had thrown Bella on the bed who looked completely unconsious. I ran to stand behind him. He turned and saw me, his eyes over flowing with fear. I couldn've seen what he was thinking but I wasn't focussed on that right now. In only three seconds I had over a hundred ways I could kill him and make it look like an animal did it.

He tried to duck around me and get out of the room.

"No." I said and put my hand on his chest, pushing back and slamming him into the wall. Not with enough force to do anything to do anything to him if he was strong enough. He whimpered as he hit.

"Come on, let me go." he said, face red.

"Who do you think you are?" I spat at him. "How dare you do that to her." I said and he smirked.

"Hey man, look I was just trying to -"

"I don't want to know, but I want you to know that if you ever come within three feet of her again then you can start planning her funeral."

_She's open game! _he thought and I was disusted. I let him go and he fell to the floor. He fumbled to his feet and then ran to the door, slamming it behind him again.

I heard Bella moan and walked over to her. Her gorgeous face was twisted into an awkward expression and I smoothed my fingers over the lines. Her face relaxed and she reached up to try to find my hand. I looked at her hand, and I let my fingers intertwine with hers. Our hands folded to gether mid-air and she shivered from my temperature. I pulled away and her face crinkled again. I saw that she was trying to open her eyes, see who it was.

"Edward Cullen?" she slurred through the gaze over her eyes and I smiled. I peeled the covers back for her and she crawled under them happily. She burried her face in a pillow with a mumbled thank you and then fell asleep.

I stayed for the rest of the night ot make sure nothing else happened. After an hour of sitting on the couch with me in Bella's living room, Alice headed home. The party started to die around four and I walked out in a crowd of people heading back to their dorms.

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I woke up the next morning in a haze. I walked out to the kitchen, stepping over the tons of passed out kids and tripping over those I didn't notice. Angela left a note on the fridge.

_Hey Bella,_

_If you're reading this I'm in class and I'll catch you up later. Not a lot of trouble last night so that should put your mind at ease for now. No police, no complaints. You looked pretty hammered though so get some rest okay?_

_See you later,_

_Angela._

Her note made me smile, for reasons beyond my knowledge. Maybe it was that despite the night that I had lived through, yet couldnt' remember, had been reality this seemed more real than that. Angela making it to school, even though she had been up until her alarm clock gave off it's warning, she hadn't missed a day of school since kindergarden, and what was the point in letting a party get in her way.

I reached in the cabinet for Asprin but found the bottle empty, though it had been bought only three weeks ago Angela and I had probably only taken four if you put our numbers together.

"Ugh." I moaned and made my way back to the bedroom.

I pulled the covers over my head and laid my head on my pillow. I let a small bit of light in under my world of comfortable darkness. I fumbled around on my bedside table and found my phone. According to the time I had miss most of my classes. When I laid it back down I looked up at the top.

The table top had two Asprin, and a glass of water by it.

Even though I had wondered who mighthave left it here I was too hungover to focus. I took the pills and threw back the water. I flopped down on the pillow again, lettin sleep take me under in only minutes.

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**Well there it is, thanks for reading! Also thank you for struggling through reading this chapter. I know that there were major spelling errors and a bunch of othermistakes, too many to name probably, but my computer or FanFiction or something wouldn't let me correct anything without deleting thw whole chapter. This is my second time writing it. I was pretty stressed when I tried to correct one word and the whole chapter was gone. Page blank. Nothing to fix. Having to restart. Anyway enough of my complaining, please review. I love you all!!!**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpectedly

**Hey guys, it's been awhile so here's a summary of what happened in the last chapters.**

**It's Bella's first year of college. She's been waiting for the chance to find what she loves to do and pursue it, his is her chance. Her and her best friend/roomate Angela are super excited. On their first day they'll over whelmed with all that's thrown at them. Classes, homework, reading assignments, along with financial things like buying books, and getting jobs not to mention trying to focus on that while keeping your eyes off the new hot guy in class-Edward Cullen. Then the arguably most important social ladder. At the top of it Jessica Stanely. Jessica has just broken up with her boyfriend Mike, he's kicked her out of their apartment, leaving Bella and Angela to take care of her. In celebration of her breaking up with Mike, she throws a huge party at the dorm. What's a college party without alcohol. Mike spikes Bella's drink and then tries to take advantage of her. Who else but Edward Cullen to save the day. In the morning Bella had no memory of the night before.**

**Just to clear something up, Bella and Angela do live in a dorm. I realized I was going back and forth between an apartment and dorm. It's a dorm room so, I hope that solves some visualization problems. =) Really though the only reason it's not an apartment is because it has to be on campus. So can we have an unrealistic dorm with a living room and more than one bedroom and a kitchen? Please because it would really help me. THANK YOU!**

**Here we go. Please let me know what you think at the bottom.**

**"So how did I end up so deeply involved in the very existence I planned on avoiding?"**

**~I'm Driving Your Girlfriend Home.**

**~Morrissey.**

**The song as a whole has nothing to do with this chapter but that particular line does so that's why I decided to use it. I'll explain why at the bottom of this chapter, so meet you down there. =)  
**

**lots. of. love.  
**

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift**

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I walked through my classes that day, not seeing her. I hadn't seen her since last night. What if Mike had come back for her after I left? What would he have done to her? By the looks of it she wouldn't be able to remember anything.

"Edward," my sister poked me from her seat next to me. "Pay attention." She whispered.

I didn't honestly see a reason to pay attention. I knew this material and I had since the twenties, when I had first gone to college. I had been born in 1901. In 1918 I had gotten the Spanish Influenza and my doctor, Carlisle Cullen had changed me into a vampire. I had been this way, seventeen, since then. Carlisle had explained to me shortly after I was changed what I was and that I had the choice to either stay with him- live in his 'vegetarian vampire lifestyle- or go on killing sprees like most do. Clearly, I decided to take the humane route. I don't think I had it in me to kill innocent people just because they were there and had blood running through their veins.

Back then it was just the three of us. Me, Carlisle, and his wife/my adoptive mother, Esme. Since then, Alice, and her mate Jasper, had joined us. We had chosen Forks because it was so dark and if we were out in the sun, we would be revealed. That wouldn't be good for anyone.

It hurt me sometimes, to watch my parents and siblings. How they acted sometimes, it made me feel like an outsider. Since I wasn't in love I was pretty much a loner in our household. That's why this year, I had gotten a dorm here this year. I was going to get an apartment, but then I figured I'd be spending all of my time here, so why not just live on campus?

It helped a little that first day of school. Waking up and not having to hear the sound of good morning kisses and hearing Alice giggle as Jasper nibbled her earlobe at the breakfast table. No more I love yous, no more kisses, no more hugs, no more hand holding, no more dancing, no more anything to remind me of what I don't have.

Then I met her, well really all it took was the sight of her to realize that she was perfect. I didn't need to talk to her, I didn't need for her to introduce myself to her. I already knew her.

I had met her through Angela's thoughts. Angela saw her as kind and good natured but way to hard on herself. She had thought that if Bella would just give herself a break then things would come so much more easily for her.

I had met her through Jessica.

Jessica saw Bella as uptight and negative. She saw her as a worry wart and someone who didn't know how to have fun. Bella, however, was nothing more than a blip on Jessica's radar. Her bubble gum pink mind was filled with too many visions of Mike Newton to pay much attention to anything but him.

I met her through Mike.

All the god awful things had had thought about her. The dark twisted side of his mind would over come the beautiful Bella that everyone else seemed to see and turn her into something dirty. Something that only he would want.

I hadn't met Bella yet really. But I had in so many different ways.

I rolled my eyes at my still scowling sister. She was so into the college thing. To me it was just like it was every time.

Pretty soon we were dismissed and students hurried along to their next class. My mind was filled with the thoughts of other student's worries and complaints.

_So tired. _ A familiar voice said. I recognized it as Angela Weber's. I then remembered that I had next class with Angela. I would ask her about Bella then.

"Angela." I caught her elbow in the next class before she had the chance to walk through the doors. She was wearing sweats and a tee shirt, tired from the night before as her thoughts told me-her normally organized mind was filled with blurred visions of too many students and beer bottles from last night-though I praised her for making it to class today, unlike most of the idiots who think they can party their way through college instead of working hard.

"Yeah?" she asked. _Why is Edward Cullen talking to me? Especially when I look like this?_ she thought.

"Well I was just wondering how Bella was this morning, did you see her?" I asked as another bell rang.

"Sit by me." she said and made her way up to two empty seats. _That makes sense. I knew that I caught him looking at her the other day. Hey, good for her! _I smiled at her thoughts for her best friend.

As the teacher started the lecture we sat in the very top row of the whole place, talking.

"I did see her this morning, but she wasn't coherent. I could barely understand her." she said shaking her head with a smile.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"Something about Mike Newton and how she was way too hungover to go to school, even though she only drank soda and not beer, which if she got hers and someone elses confused I would only blame her for leaving her drink out. There were alot of cups at that party and without a sharpie to write names on them it got pretty confusing." she smiled and I couldn't help but laugh quietly at her comment.

"Well, thanks for the information, I hope she's okay." I said facing forward.

"Yeah me too." she said. _I wonder if I should tell him what she said about him. Probably not, especially if he likes her, because if he does then she so has a shot if she doesn't seem like the creep who incoherently talks about him in her hungover state. Nope, not mentioning it. I bet he does like her though, and I bet I could get them together. But I shouldn't get involved. No, not getting in the middle of this. I'm just going to focus on the class. Get out your paper and your pen and start- _

"You like Bella don't you?" she asked hurriedly.

_Crap._

"Well what's it matter if I do or don't. You shouldn't be getting in the middle of it anyways." I said, it was wrong to tamper with her thoughts but I couldn't help it.

"Yes, but I live with Bella, I'm going and checking in on her at lunch time, you could come with me." she offered.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, she'd probably appreciate it." _Yeah. She would._

"Well than, sure. I'll come with you." I said before weighing out the pros and cons.

"Great." she said and then really did focus on the class.

Okay Edward, there are a million ways you could get yourself out of this if you need to.

Cons.

I could be overwhelmed by her smell, therefore attacking her. Killing her-no more Bella.

Then as a follow-up I would have to kill Angela and most likely Jessica, corrupting their entire families and their lives.

I know a million ways I could kill her if we were for some reason left alone. She wouldn't make a sound, and I could get out before anyone even saw me.

I could say the wrong thing and ruin any chances I once had with her.

She might remember me as the weird stalker guy from the night before.

Pros.

I get to meet her with my thoughts.

At that moment I decided that the one pro outweighed all the cons. I would go and meet Bella Swan as me, not as Jessica Stanely, not as Mike Newton, not as Angela, but as me.

* * *

"Bella, I'm home." I heard Angela yell from the living room. I had been sleeping still. I was already out of school for the day, what was the point of even trying to stay awake? I glanced over at the clock and realized it was lunch time. I hoped all of the people who were in my dorm this morning were now gone. "I have coffee, and a visitor." she said and I heard her laugh.

She walked in my room. "Hey Bells," she said in a half whisper tone.

"What?" I asked, confused by her somewhat excitedness.

"Sorry that you're still in ." She smiled and handed me a plastic cup from Tim Horton's.

"Why?" I smiled, then I saw why. The reason was standing slickly in my doorway, looking ever so charming in his white tee shirt, light colored jacket, and dark jeans.

"Hello Bella." he said.

"Hi Edward." I said and thought that was way too casual.

"Um, Edward here needed some extra help on the homework. So I was working with him after class and I thought, you now you guys would really like each other. So I brought him up to talk to you." she smiled. I waited until he looked away, he had actually turned around to laugh at Angela's excuse, then my hand flew up to my head and I viciously yanked it through my hair.

"Oh, well, that's cool I guess." I said. "Have a seat guys." I said, my casual tone from before quickly turning into a voice that was much more formal, too formal for the day's happenings. Edward took the chair that slid under my desk. He pulled it out and sat down in it while Angela hoped on my bed and mouthed sorry to me again.

"Um, so Edward is this your first year?" Angela asked sipping nervously at her coffee.

"Um yes, it is. What about you two?" he asked back.

"Yeah, we're both first year." she answered for me.

"Oh, so we'll all be together for the next however long then?" I asked, feeling stupid as soon as I did.

"Yeah." Angela said and smiled.

And that was basically it, nothing much. Mindless chatter, really what was on all of our minds was how awkward it was. It was weird to be sitting in a room with people that you barely knew and try to have a conversation with them. The one thing that stood out most to me though, was Edward's constant eyes. Everytime I looked over at him his eyes were boring into mine. Not once did I turn over to see him looking at Angela, always me. If he was trying to read into my soul or something, not happening, clearly, because if it was I wouldn't be talking about how long we'll be in college.

They stayed there for only another twenty minutes. Then left. Angela was the first out the door, then Edward who lingered in the doorway with one too many goodbyes. Was this awkward for him too? And why was it awkward? Was he at the party last night? What did he see? What did he know? Or even scarier, what did he know that I didn't?

"Goodbye Bella." he said for what must have been the third time.

"Bye Edward." I said and he gave me another glare-like look before walking out.

I let out a sigh and intended on turning right back over in my bed. Not to go to sleep, after drinking coffee it took me _at least _three hours for the affect to wear off, but go into a sleep like state. Sort of numb, just lay there and act like I was at home even though I wasn't.

Then, just as I did, I heard a knock.

"Come in." I said though it sounded like a question. I stayed facing my wall, probably Angela forgetting a book or something.

"Bella," he said and I jolted with shock up in bed.

"Yes Edward?"

"Well I was wondering if maybe you would like to go to dinner with me sometime?"

"Uh, sure. Yeah, of course. Yes." I nodded.

"Great, so um, I'll come get you around seven then, tomorrow night."

"Okay I'll be here." I said nervously.

"Okay great." he said and looked down smiling at his feet.

"Good." I said and smiled, I felt warmth spread across my cheeks and looked down so he wouldn't see me blush.

"Okay, so I'll um, I'll see you soon then."

"Okay." I half laughed, trying to contain my excitement.

"Goodbye Bella." he said again.

"Bye Edward." I said and smiled. He smiled at me and then turned away.

I turned over then, with no chances of going to sleep, or into anything close to a sleep like state.

Edward Cullen. Me. Going on a date.

It seemed unreal to me. In high school I hardly ever dated, most likely because I didn't fit in all that well. My mother had always told me that I was matured beyond my years, which held true through my whole life. I found boys, and most girls, my age to be immature and silly. I had only had a small group of friends during high school, maybe five strong ones that I still kept in touch with by e-mail, others came and went during the years. Angela was in that group, and we were the only ones that went to state college. The others paid thousands more to go to private colleges across the country, one even made it to Harvard, on partial scholarship...scary I know. That was the thing, we hadn't fit in because we paid too much attention in school. We hadn't talked to the other kids during class so when they saw the quiet girl in the corner scribbling notes down across the pages of her note book they would laugh and call her a nerd.

Because of that I hadn't been able to connect with anyone my age, and in the end I wasn't sure I wanted to. They seemed, honestly, a little stupid. It had paid off though, ignoring them. Half of them hadn't graduated and the other half didn't go to college. Still though, it would've helped me in this area. I hadn't dated because none of the boys wanted to date me. They thought I was strange and weird and didn't want to waste their time on me. That's why it seemed odd to me that Edward Cullen, of all people, would ask me to dinner.

I had to go though, there wasn't even a doubt about that. I wanted to go and it would be an excellent experience if nothing else. The thing I was worried about was how I should act. Should I be myself like all of the Disney channel shows told me to do as a child? Should I try to be a little more fun than normal or is he the type of guy that wanted a serious girl?

That was another thing. I didn't know him that well and why was I putting myself in the hands of a person who was, practically, a stranger. Alone me and him. What if he was some creep?

What if there was a weird silence where neither of us knew what to say? What if he was depending on me to carry out the conversation? I was depending on him right, so that would put us where?

Ugh!

I was so confused. Why couldn't I hadn't I just talked to more guys in school? Why did I have to be so smart?

Why was dating such a big deal to begin with anyways? Why was it so hyped up that when I get asked out for the first time I start going insane? Why couldn't I go and just be myself with him?

Because he wasn't a close friend. He _was_ a stranger. He was someone I barely knew.

I wanted to tell myself that deep down I knew everything would be okay but I couldn't. I wanted to tell myself that I would make it through the night without a scratch but I didn't know that for sure.

So I would go, play the night by ear, and let the dice roll where they may.

I wasn't sure how things would end up, but I could hope that I would get some sleep soon.

Because I still had class to endure tomorrow.

* * *

**So there was College Life. Please, do let me know what you think will happen next, what should happen next and what you thought of this chapter. Thank you so much for reading. It means so much to me that you would take the time to listen to my story I have to tell and then leave me ideas and thoughts and comments to base the next chapter off of. I really do, truly and honestly, love you all for that.**

**Also the music lyrics at the top, for me, fit into this chapter firstly because of Edward. He never thought he would fall in love and felt out of place among his family. He was strongly apposed to the idea of ever finding someone to spend the rest of his existence with, so much that he moved into a dorm and away from the over all romantic atmosphere that his house normally had. But when he met Bella, he discovered why Alice and Jasper and Carlilse and Esme love each other so much. So , the very existence he planned on avoiding by moving, is now the one that he's involved in, especially since he asked Bella out by the end of the chapter. Secondly, and this was just a coincidence as I was writing, Bella with her life in high school. She never thought she would get asked out, so she wasn't really avoiding it. Unless she was subconsciously hanging out with the group of girls who no one wanted to date on purpose for some reason. However, now she is wrapped up in this date with a boy who she barely knows and has no clue how to handle it. So, she wasn't planning on avoiding love, but wasn't expecting it at all either. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but for me it spoke to the chapter. As I said, the song as a whole doesn't make much sense and really I don't like it that much. But when I heard the one line in particular I thought it would fit. So there is my explanation. **

**lots. of. love.  
**

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift **


	4. Chpt 4 :Waking Up to a Shocking Reality

**Hello all who will are reading this right now, thank you for stopping by and clicking on my story. I hope you find that the chapter satisfies you. **

**Here's College Life.**

**lots. of. love.**

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift **

**"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."**

**~Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio).**

**Inception. **

**

* * *

**

A few hours later I woke up to light glaring in my face, my dream had seemed so unrealistically real. I know it seems like an oxymoron but it makes sense. Normally my dreams take place on clouds and have mythical beings in them. With one major character in this dream being close to something mythical it seemed as if it would have to be a dream, but this particular dream didn't match the concept of dreaming. Dreams, as I said took place on clouds, this one happened in my room. That's what made it unrealistic, that even though it seemed liked reality because it was so vivid, so detailed, it couldn't be a dream at all. But it was, in fact, a dream, and for that I was thankful.

I looked at the old wooden, yet intricate, clock that hung above my dresser on the wall. Almost three o'clock, great just what I need, a confusing dream and an off sleep schedule. I had woken up at eight, twelve, and now two. Despite the fact that I should get up and see if Angela was home yet, I turned over with my eyes closed. I hoped that I could just go back to sleep, that I wouldn't have to lay there with my eyes closed while loud noises outside kept bothering me, waiting for sleep to come and take me under. I hoped that all I would have to do was close my eyes and then fall asleep. I knew though that this wouldn't happen. So instead, I opened my eyes.

I looked at what sat upon my dresser. A plastic coffee cup from Tim Horton's, half full, and sweating from sitting there for so long.

I felt my tired sleepy eyes widen and I sat up in bed as if I had been tazered. It was the type of reaction people had when they woke up form a nightmare where all their fears came rolled into one giant film while they were sleeping. Being chased by axe murderers, waking up on a different planet, going to school naked-none of those things came close to the horror of the reality I had just discovered.

Edward Cullen had not only seen me in my pajamas, and had not only had to listen to my hungover tongue, but he had asked me out.

I assumed most girls, especially ones like me, in-over-their-head in college and have no clue what life was going to bring them, would be shocked when any normal boy was asked out. Now, most likely, these girls would have dated regularly in high school and have the necessary level of experience to go out with said boy. But in my case, I wouldn't have had the required knowledge to go on a date with any normal boy, but I was going on a date with Edward Cullen, the boy who any girl would kill to go out with.

As I was taking all this in I realized that the pounding sensation I had felt in my head earlier was gone. Good job Bella, I thought to myself, you made it through your first hangover. Yeah, that's something to be proud of.

Angela normally came home at around three. I figured that since I was feeling better and she had been the one to endure the school day, I could get dressed and clean up for her. I didn't go to school, and had done nothing but slept today, I might as well try to get as much out of the day as I could.

Still on the brink of hyperventilating, I walked over to my dresser and yanked open one of the drawers. It slid against the frame,making a horrible screeching noise, which normally would've made me cringe but there was no time for that. I grabbed a pair of jeans and slammed it shut. I did the same with the drawer above it except this time I grabbed a pair of socks and underwear, before I walked away I grabbed my glasses that laid on the top of the dresser. I walked over to my closet and shoved the door open, threatening to break the knob off as I did. I grabbed a black tee shirt off a hanger and it clanked to the floor as I stalked away.

I threw the door to the small bathroom open and slammed it shut. As it closed I threw my clothes to the ground and started preparing for a shower. Once I was completely undressed I walked over to the shower and turned the water on, with the warm on full blast, adjusting it as my breathing slowed.

This was the only thing I could think of to help me calm down. It helped a little, I hadn't noticed how tense my muscles had been until the water had forced them to clam.

If just thinking about how this date was going to go got me this excited then what was actually going out with him going to do to me?

I went through the regular motions of a shower-shampoo, conditioner, shaving, washing, rinsing. When I was finally done I didn't really want to get out. I wanted to stay in here forever, just like this with the warm water cascading down my back. Each drop of liquid calming me when the thought of Edward Cullen threatened to make me shudder.

Was it weird that I was thinking about Edward Cullen in the shower? Was this normal? Even if it wasn't him, and it was someone else, would I still be thinking about _that_ person? Probably so, but it, most likely, wouldn't be this intense of a thought process.

I reluctantly reached towards the knob that controlled the hot water, I paused there, then told myself that I had to get out of the shower eventually. Preferably soon, I still was faced with whatever lay out in the living room. Empty cups, bottles, other trash that was left behind, people-that was a definite possibility.

I shut the water off and all the water that was left were the few drops that fell from the facet. I got out, dried off, and got dressed in the clothes I had brought in before. I grabbed a brush and yanked it through my hair, then picked up the towel and wiped away excess water that still clung to the strands. I then put the towel in the hamper and walked out, flipping the light switch to off and closing the door as I did.

To my pleasant surprise, everyone who had been here when I came out this morning was gone. Weather they went to class, their dorms, or some place else I didn't care, the point was that they weren't in my dorm anymore.

Were all parties always this crazy? Or was it Jessica's fliers that got all the attention? It could have been that college was new and exciting, parties always _seemed _like something a stereotypical college student would attend, getting wasted seemed like something they would do. Had it really drawn that many people just by being a party?

I shook my head, awakening myself from my thoughts and looking at the mess that was strung across the living room in front of me. I walked across the carpet, or what I could see of that carpet, avoiding the trash and making my way to the kitchen. I bent down to reach into the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a box of trash bags. I pulled one out and opened it up. I then walked around the kitchen and started cleaning. Throwing away beer bottles, and beer cans, and red cups, and Styrofoam cups, and other bottles. Then there were plates, and wrappers, and bags that had held food the night before. I made my way through the kitchen, living room and the hallway. Then I got the vacuum out of the closet and started moving around the dorm with that. I straightened up the couch cushions and lamp shades. Then I was finally done.

I put the vacuum away and then went to my room. I walked around to the window and grabbed the book I was reading. I went back out to the living room, flopped down on the couch, then dove into the world that only existed on the pages of the book and in the mind of the author.

It was, as always, reading a fantasy novel. Ever since I was a little girl I had wanted to read about something that wasn't normal. I liked the book abut the brother and sister who didn't get along, but by the end loved each other just fine, but I would have rather read the one about the siblings who were zapped onto a spaceship. When other girls in my class would read The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I was reading Magic Tree House  book. Now, I get that nine-year-old twins having a detective agency isn't realistic, but it still had an outcome that made sense, while being zapped back in time and onto the Titanic didn't.

I never exactly understood why I was so interested in things that didn't exist. Maybe it was because it was the thought that they could exist. Maybe it was because deep down I knew they never could. Maybe it was because whether they did or not, they would never be in my world. They would never live around me, or go to the same school I did. If they did exist, they would live underground, or in a far away place. Either way, they were something different from the real world. When I stepped back and took a look at the books I read, the plots did seem a little silly, the ideas behind the characters far fetched. But the real world, hardly as interesting. It's just not grabbing my attention anymore. These books did.

I was just finishing up a chapter when Jessica came in. I was shocked when she walked in, I thought for sure she was in bed and would stay there until later tonight. Apparently not.

"Where were you?" I asked, thinking it had to be about four now, as she shut the door. She was wearing her pajamas and a hoodie, along with a baseball cap and sunglasses. Her outfit surprised me in the sense that I thought, even in her hungover state, Jessica cared too much about fashion and clothing to be caught dead in the daylight in p.j.'s, but didn't because, she had partied way hard last night, and was passed out on the couch with some guy when I woke up this morning

"Stop yelling at me! I was out getting coffee because the coffee pot got broken last night. Now I'm going back to sleep. Don't wake me up!" she said in a harsh tone as she walked across the living room and into my bedroom.

I rolled my eyes and then stood up, walking over to the counter to look at where the blender and vegetable chopper were placed. Sure enough, in between the other two appliances, was the crushed pot. Glass covered the whole counter and I was glad I hadn't cut myself while cleaning. I brought the trash can over and brushed all of the glass into the bag, using an oven mit to protect my hand. The last thing I needed was an injury. I was already squeamish when it came to blood, I would get nauseous and the whole world would start spinning.

Once, when I was about fourteen, I had cut myself terribly while shaving. Up the front of my lower leg and I hadn't realized it until I had run the razor up my entire span of skin, making the cut about a footlong. My whole leg felt itchy, and it stung a little bit, but it wasn't until I looked down to find the red substance smeared, still streaming from the wound, and dripping into the clear water below, in tiny drops that resembled paint, that I started to get dizzy. I had never really liked to bother my parents with things, especially at the time this happened-during puberty,a time where my clumsy scale shot from six to twenty billion-so I didn't want to run straight to them for help.

I had shut the water off, hoping the silence the bathroom held would help me think more clearly. I had tried to get out of the shower, so I could find a towel to stop the continuously gushing blood that had yet to slow, but when I started to move my leg went numb and I couldn't feel it any longer. I started to panic and under the stress my knees gave out, making the situation even worse, leaving me with nothing to do but sit and yell for my mom. Also leaving me in a shower with the smell and sight of blood all around me.

I had checked to make sure my leg was still there, obviously it was but I couldn't move my toes, no matter how hard I tried. The sight of my leg sticking up from the once white and soapy water, now red, pink, and cloudy while invaded by my blood, was covered with the sight of black splotches. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes hoping to get that vision of the wound out of my head, but nothing happened. I let my mind be over come with the pounding ache from the scent and the sight of the bright colors that hid behind my lids from the last glance at light I had taken. My mouth screamed for my mother, but I knew that she was downstairs watching television, or possibly on the computer working on her next set of lesson plans. She wouldn't hear me.

I screamed her name, help, and fire but nothing worked. My body and mind both felt defeated, so I lay there. Luckily, I had gotten home later than expected from Angela's house, and while I had gotten grounded for two weeks from it, it also meant that I had _just _enough time to take a half hour shower. I suppose that when my mom came up to go to bed, around the same time I usually would, she realized that I hadn't gone to my room yet. She came in and found me.

I suppose I really frightened her. Sitting there with the blood just starting to slow and the water a different shade of red, my head back and eyes closed. I probably looked like I had been stabbed or shot, even though I hadn't my mom had gotten me dressed and bandaged. While we were in the car I woke up. My mom was never one to _really _panic, plus she knew I had only passed out and would come to soon, so she felt no need to call an ambulance. Instead she had decided to take me to the hospital and see if I had lost too much blood, and while I hadn't the doctor had warned me to be much more careful while shaving, using knives and even flipping through sheets of paper. He explained to me that it was just overwhelming, with the heat of the water and the claustrophobic environment I was in, but none the less, I had to watch it from there on.

And I had, I still did. Clearly, form my use of the oven mit. I was incredibly, and most likely overly, paranoid about being cut again. Of course since then I had gotten paper cuts, and a few times if a bug bite got really bad and I scratched at it enough it would bleed, but in those situations I had band-aids. If I ever got cut like I did when I was fourteen, especially know when I was out living some-what on my own, I had no clue what I would do. I mean, I couldn't really ask Angela to do what my mom did for me. Pick me up out of the bathtub and clothe me. I could hardly expect that of her, if anything I would hope she would call 911, or my mom, but that would be it.

When I was done scrapping even the tiniest slivers of glass off and into the trash I pulled the can back over to it's proper place and then put the mit away. Some may call what I had done extreme, over the top, maybe unnecessary, but I didn't find it any of those things. Just the required precautions I took.

I walked back over to the couch, only slightly phased by the memories that had come back all too suddenly of that horrific night, and picked up my book only to have Angela walk in a few minutes later.

"Hey." she said happily as she put her bags and books down by the door.

"Hey." I said in a slightly sterner tone.

"What's wrong?" she asked as walked to the kitchen, still cheery and with a spring in her step.

"How could you do that to me Angela?" I said in an odd tone. I wasn't sure how to approach this. I knew that I wasn't truly upset with her, so I wasn't going to act sad and mope around about it. I also knew that I wasn't really mad either, so I wasn't going to yell at her for what had happened. I was more a confusing combination of the two, sprinkled with shock and a dash of happiness and excitement.

"Do what?" she asked, sounding just as confused as I felt.

"You brought Edward Cullen into my room, while I was not only hungover but in pajamas, and then expected me to have a conversation with him?" I know recognized the way I was speaking as a mixture of complaining and stressed. You could compare it to a stern whine. Angela do you know how hard it is to have a straight though process around him anyways? It's way harder when you have a throbbing head feeling like something close to a jackhammer." she came and sat down beside me.

"Well, I didn't think you would care that much, given that you like him, or at least it seems that way." she said with a smile and a roll of her eyes.

I knew I should have expected this from her, she knew me too well, and at the end of the day I knew I was glad for what she had done. It was just that everything would have been so much better if she had just waited until I was dressed to bring him, of course she had no idea.

I sighed. "I mean, of course I like him, but I hardly know him. Looks aren't everything after all. For all I know, he could be some creep. He could be married. Angela...he could have kids." I said, knowing that I was jumping to conclusions but in all seriousness it was absolutely possible.

"Bella, stop it. You know that's not very likely. Why are you so stressed out about it anyways? So he saw you in your p.j.'s. I'm sure he saw alot of others in much worse condition last night." she said and shrugged.

"Wait, he was here?" I tried to go back to last night in my mind, but I knew that no matter how hard I thought my mind was too clouded. It was a giant mass of cloudy visions and blurry people. I knew I thought I had seen Edward there, but who knew what that could've been from. Maybe someone was talking about him. Maybe for some reason, drunk as I was, I was thinking about him. Maybe his sister was there and that brought around some thoughts of him. Whatever the reason, he didn't seem like a real partier. Then again, he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would have children, or be married, but I had no idea about either of those things. Why would I know if he liked to get wasted and dance around to booming music?

"By the way you were mumbling about him this morning, I think he was." she said. "But I didn't see him or anything."

"Are you guys talking about Edward Cullen?" Jessica asked. She now had make-up on, was dressed in a tank top and jeans, and had her hair brushed and straightened.

"Um, yeah did you see him here last night?" I asked and she laughed.

"Oh, yeah I did." she said and bit her lip, her eye brows raised.

"Jessica," I said with an unintentionally accusing sound in my voice. "What did you see?"

"Look, all I know is that I saw you and Edward go into the same room, and Edward come out about twenty minutes later."

"And..." I asked and she scoffed.

"Paint yourself a mental picture B., see what it looks like?" she said, her eyes squinted in a know-it-all, snobby manner, her smile also evil.

I let out a sigh of worry and my stomach was automatically in knots. There was no way...

"Anyways, I'm off. Mike texted me and said we need to talk about how we ended. I think he wants to get back together." she said excitedly as she hand barely touched the doorknob.

"Wait!" I said and ran for the door. I locked the deadbolt and then had my back pressed up against the door. "What do you mean?" I said, trying to make sure that what she said and what I was thinking matched up in perspective.

"Listen, I think this may be too mature of a subject for Miss Squeaky Clean and Predictable over there," he eyes pointed towards Angela, who was just looking at us from under her glasses. She looked down when I had looked up at her, I knew she could hear, and Jessica did too. "So, I'll put it like this." she leaned into whisper in my ear, not sure why she bothered now. "When Edward was in your room this afternoon, yeah I heard about that too, it may not have been the first time he saw your sheets." she backed away from my ear and the evil glare her eyes gave me pierced my heart.

"If things go expectantly at Mike's, then I'll be back to get my stuff later. I'll be living with Mike, you know, in case you need me to tell you what's going on in your life again."

I moved out of her way and she smiled. "Thanks for the favor B." she said, referring to me letting her live with us, and then closed the door behind her as she walked out.

"Ugh, I can't believe her." I said and rolled my eyes, going and sitting back on the couch. I had my arms crossed over my chest, my jaw was out in disgust and my brows were scrunched together.

"Hey," Angela said awkwardly, reaching over from her place to smooth over my forehead, despite my anger I smiled. "I have some homework I could do if you want to be alone right now." she said and walked over to get her bookbag

"No, that's okay." she stopped in front of me and waited. "I actually couldn't stand being alone right now if I wanted to. I don't even want to be here anymore. Do you want to go get something to eat? Or better yet we could go job hunting?" I said, my hand held out towards the door, my voice was calm and my stomach was unwinding at the thought of some quality girl time.

"Um, sure. I'll just go get dressed, I know I wore this all day, but I couldn't stand feeling this lazy. I just wanted to go to sleep in class anyways, feeling this comfortable didn't help much." she said and rolled her eyes. I laughed. Just like Angela, sleep is just the enemy, but laziness...the nemesis.


	5. Chapter 5:Predictable

**Hey everyone. Here's an update of College Life. I've recently put together a writing schedule so I'll be updating here every Monday. Okay? College Life. Monday. Be there. If you read my other stories and want more details on my schedule then visit my profile and read up because I just posted it. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**lots. of. love.**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift  


* * *

Later on we were ready to go. I had added a gray cardigan with quarter length sleeves, since by the time we were going out it was dark and starting to get chilly. Angela had also told me that, in return for her rude attitude earlier, I should wear something of Jessica's. I chose a pair of black ballet flats with gold studs and a red beaded necklace. Angela was wearing a flower blouse, with a very pale pallet and burgundy lace for lining at the neckline. She, too, was just wearing dark jeans. She was wearing a pair of Jessica's flip flops and a headband. It had a dark rose and was lined with satin.

We wouldn't have taken so long except that Angela had wanted to take a shower, and I wanted to be some-what caught up on what I had missed today. There was only one or two classes that we didn't have together. We had also agreed that we would look for jobs and get something for dinner.

We left at about six. When we walked out of the building and down to Angela's car we were over whelmed with the signs of fall. Leaves breaking free form their branches, enduring the downwards spiral towards the earth, some embracing the few moments they had in the air. Taking the time to let the breeze carry them from the one path they were on and onto follow another. There were different colors. The dark colors of the leaves, to the golden color the sky was fading out of. I realized that I had hardly seen the sun today, and now as it was going down the only glimpse I got of it was what shone out from behind trees. The rest of the sky formed layers. Golden where the sun was going down, the orange to pink cascading off the light, the pink to purple, getting nearer and nearer to darkness, then finally the black background the let stars hand from it, forming a gorgeous picture. The wind was crisp, and warm at the same time. Summer's last farewell and winter's first salutation in the form of air.

We reached her car and got in. Angela's parents, though they may not have been all that wealthy, had a good deal of money. Enough that they bought their daughter a car when she was sixteen, and another when she started college. This one was better than the one she had before, and both of them beat my truck in the sense of actual driving. Though I loved my truck, and always had, Angela's car had a radio that worked, plus numerous other things that were too car and driver for me to ever truly comprehend.

My truck, of course, was special to me. It had belonged to my dad's friend Billy, but when he was in an accident and put in a wheelchair, it meant that he would no longer be able to drive. So, my dad had taken it. This all happened when I was about fifteen, so by this time my parents were divorced. Every weekend when I was with my dad we would spend all Saturday in his garage working on the truck together. This kept us close. He would tell me about the latest crime spree in Forks, that I already knew about of course, but he had a different perspective on it, so it was interesting to hear. I would tell him about school, what we were learning. I would share why I thought the teachers were terrible at their jobs, how they could improve and why they should. Overall, I think working on the truck was good for us, it kept us close, and helped us bond. Now every time I sat in it I thought about the long hours we had both spent on it, and also about the good times we had together.

So if I wanted to get nostalgic then I would go and sit in my truck, drive it around and shuffle through memories in my mind. But when you wanted to cruise around town for a while, stopping to go in only to come out minutes later and start driving again, you needed something alot less noisy and alot more reliable.

Angela turned the car on and then settled the controls. Radio on, volume low so it faded into the background, and temperature dead between hot and cold. The screen on the stereo lit up with green letters, announcing the song playing was _Suddenly I See _by _KT Tunstall_.

With a satisfied look on her face Angela backed out of her spot and pulled out of the lot.

"What were some of the things we were looking at the other day?" I asked, remembering us sitting on the couch, looking at the newspaper and circling possible jobs that we could get.

"I have a list in the glove compartment." she said and, even though I shouldn't have been, I was surprised by her readiness. I got into the small, gray compartment and pulled out the paper.

"Okay, there was the job at Petsmart for you, one at Walmart for me and the two shifts at the coffee house. Also, there were three spots open at the Pizza Plaza, one at Fashion Express Outlet, and another at Burger Buddy's."

"Sounds greasy." she said.

"Yeah, but we need the money and really, would it matter _all that _much?"

"You're right." she said and started down the road. When we reached the main shopping center in town about half the stores were closed. Luckily, Petsmart and Walmart were not. We both went into the stores separately, returning to the car in only about ten minutes. We were both told the jobs we wanted were filled, but Angela said the manager said more jobs were opening up soon so to check back.

A few streets over was the Pizza Plaza and Fashion express. While we both went into the pizza shop, she said that I could go into the other store. I wasn't sure why, she had a better taste in fashion then I did. Even so, I didn't want to deny her generosity. We both recieved applications form the pizza place, and I got one from Fashion Express. About ten minutes later and three blocks away, Angela had one from Burger Buddy's.

"Do you want to just skip the last one?" I asked, feeling great with our success.

"No, I think we better go, especially since this one is on campus. I was talking to Eric and he said that since mostly students work there they're really good about working with your classes and stuff, but since it's so close we can go and eat first. We'll just stop there later, or if they're closed tomorrow."

"Oh, we could do that." I said and she kept driving. She wasn't one to make conversation, and since we were going to do plenty of talking at the restaurant anyways I decided to look out of my window for awhile. The town was small, we would get there soon.

I looked out of the dark glass that formed a window and past my faded reflection. The street lights that past in the darkness cast a golden glow on each spot they touched. The road below them formed a beautiful, yet slick, black stage for the different shadows to dance across. Light reflected off of the water drops and lit the way for any small creatures that might pass them, making their way down the road slowly, but hopefully reaching something great soon. Sort of like me. I had no idea where I was head. I mean, right now I was going out to eat, but in the long run. I didn't know where the sidewalk ended, but it was going to eventually, I was just walking on it. Fate was fate no matter how many times you tried to change it, what it held for me, no clue, but I could hope it was something great.

We were in the parking lot in about ten minutes, by this time the few drops of rain that had fallen before had turned into a complete down pour, funny how fast those things changed that quickly and that drastically. We ran into the restaurant and were seated immediately.

A waiter, who looked about our age, came up to take our order. "Hi," he said cheerily. "I'm Austin and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you girls off with some drinks?" he asked and looked up at us from his note pad.

"I'll have a coke." I said.

"Me too." Angela added.

"Okay, here are your menus. I'll be right back to take your order."

"Thanks." I said and he left with a smile.

"What are you going to get?" Angela asked me.

"A sandwich." I said and turned to see what they had. "What about you?"

"I'm going to get the Greek salad." she said and I smiled. Just like Angela.

"What?" she said her tone sharp.

"Nothing, it's just that I expected you to get a salad." I said defensively, then going back to my menu.

Austin soon came back to give us our drinks and take our orders. I noticed how down Angela seemed to be, but I didn't comment. I knew that if I did she would just fake being happy and excited so I would be happier.

"So, how exactly did you get Edward Cullen to come to our dorm today?"

"Well, he came up and asked about you." she shrugged, starting to come out of her mood.

"What did he ask exactly?"

"He just asked how you were doing and if you were okay." she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"And how did him coming to our place come up?"

"Exactly?"

"Exactly." I nodded.

"Well, since I was pretty sure you liked him I invited him to come and see you. He seemed like he wanted to anyways. I honestly and sincerely think he likes you Bells." she smiled for me, but I could tell there was something hidden behind it. I knew that her smile was genuine, but as if it hurt her to put it there.

"What's wrong?" I asked. She could fake happy after I found out what was wrong.

"Nothing." she shook her head and tried to look confused.

"Ange, don't lie, I know when something's up with you so don't-"

"How?" she said.

"What?"

"How? How do you know when something's up with me? How do you know when I'm upset?"

"Well, you always just kind of slump into yourself and quiet down. Then when someone brings it up you deny it. Then either the person who asked you if you were upset will drop it and you'll pretend to be happy, or they'll stay persistent. If they do, you'll act confused as if nothing was wrong, only to fake being happy until you got them to believe you. It seemed to me like you have it down to a science."

"So what you're saying is that I'm predictable?" she asked, looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap, another thing she did alot when she was feeling bad.

I remembered Jessica calling her 'squeaky clean' and 'predictable' earlier. "No, you're not predictable, your just yourself and you're not planning on changing every four seconds because you're afraid of being the same. For god's sake your not Madonna. Just because Jessica changes her mood, clothing, and just about everything else every five minutes doesn't mean that you have to too."

"How did you know I was talking about Jessica?" she asked softly, looking up at me with brown eyes that hurt too look back at and into.

"Well, I just figured you were. She said that earlier, and from the look on your face I could tell you heard her. Plus you tend to-"

"Tend to." she whispered and her eyes looked away.

"Angela, you're not predictable. Jess is just a-"

"Why didn't you finish what you were saying?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"Because I knew it would make you upset and I don't-"

"You _knew _it would make me upset because I _tend to _obsess over what people think about me right? And you _expected _me to order a salad because I always do. And you _knew_ I didn't want to wear the outfit I wore to school today, but I did since I felt bad. And you_ knew _when I got home that I was going to put my books down by the door. Because that's what I _always_ do. Right?" she said.

"What do you want me to say Angela?" I asked. For the first time in a long time, unsure of where she was taking the conversation.

"Nothing, never mind. I'm sorry I even brought it up. It was stupid. And you're right, I do just obsess over what people think." I knew that I should be shocked at what she said just before this, but in the back of my mind, I knew that she would take back her bold statement too. Because that's what she always did.

"Don't worry about it."

"Here's your food. Let me know if I can get you anything else." Austin said, Angela said a quick thanks then let him leave.

"So what did Edward come back into talk to you about?" she said, a sparkle in her tone, and possibly in her eyes, but not in the way she picked up her fork and started on the leafy greens in front of her.

"He, uh, he asked me to get dinner with him." she choked on her bite, something unexpected, and I got worried when he face turned red. She grabbed her napkin and started coughing into it. After taking a sip of her coke she got settled again.

"Edward Cullen and you on date?" I nodded. "I'd sleep with on eye open if I were you?" she asked, putting another forkfull of food in her mouth.

"Why's that?" I asked, peeling apart my sandwich and eating it in layers as opposed consuming it bite by bite.

"Because," she swallowed. "There are too many girls on that campus that are also madly in love with him and-"

"Wait, wait, wait-" I said mid-chew. "Madly in love?"

"Not you, but everyone else." she said with a sarcastic tone.

"Ange, I am not madly in love with Edward Cullen."

"Maybe not. Not yet anyways." she said and smiled. Taking another bite of her salad.

"Well, either way, why should I sleep with one eye open?"

"Because, there are too many girl on that campus that are madly in love with him, or think they are anyways, and they all want a shot with him. When they find out you got one they're going to be after you." she said. I had unrolled my silverware and was picking the tomato slices off the piece of chicken beneath them.

"Well, even if they did kill me how would that help them?"

"They wouldn't kill you, because none of them know just how in love Edward is with you, and neither do you. Instead they would threaten you into not going on your date. Edward would of course be heart broken, and they would be there for him."

"Then they can do that, because God knows I am not sleeping with one eyes open for a bunch of girls who want to go on a date with the guy who asked me out."

"Ooh, slightly protective are we?" she raised an eyebrow at me and I couldn't help but smile.

"Only slightly and I'm only protective of what rightfully mine, and in this case it's my pride. I'm not going to let anyone break this date, not because I'm _in love _with Edward, but because if I did it would tell them that I was a coward."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked quietly.

"Positive. Now can we just get through the rest of the meal without mention of anything Cullen?" she nodded and laughed.

We continued to talk the rest of the night about school, work, and other things that were light hearted-none of which included Edward or our date.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! How about a review?**

**Thank you!  
**

**lots. of. love. **

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**~AliceSwift **


	6. Chapter 6: Campus Coffee

**Hey guys, sorry for the late chapter but I've been impossibly tired this whole week. Just totally drained of any writing skills. So, while this chapter sort of sucks, it's necessary.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**lots. of. love.**

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift**

* * *

The next day Angela and I went into the on campus coffee shop, which was very appropriately titled _Campus Coffee. _By the time we had finished eating last night the shop had been closed and we had agreed to just come here in the morning.

It was cold outside, great Fall weather greeting us with swirling leaves and crisp air. I had even worn a jacket and scarf out today. As Angela and I walked inside out cold cheeks and noses were warmed with the smell of coffee.

"Hey girls!" Eric came over to us and beamed. I wasn't sure if that was part of the job description, being overly happy I mean, or if it was really just that great to work here.

"Hey Eric." we said right after each other.

"What can I get you?" he asked. We ordered our drinks and then told him about the job hunt.

"Can you help us out?" I asked.

"With the coffee? Yes, definitely. "Some applications, I'm not sure. Normally they'll give jobs to any students who want one but with the new school year starting there are lots of people asking about jobs. Besides, you have to talk to the boss to get anything close to an application."

"Well where is she?" Angela asked.

"She doesn't get here until twelve."

"But you open at like five a.m. What's up with that?"

"Well she comes by, opens it up and then leaves it to her morning assistant manager to get everything rolling before the employees get here. However, the assistant manager can't give you a job. I'd just sit around and wait if I were you two."

"I think we can stick around." I said. We had both had all of our morning classes so we had some time.

"Awesome! I'll get you guys some coffee." he smiled then turned around and left. He soon returned with two, tall, cream colored mugs that had whip cream and dark sprinkles on the top of the dark liquid.

"Thanks Eric." we said and he smiled at us.

"Hey, it's my job after all. Let me know how the job thing goes." he smiled and we walked away. We agreed and went to find seats, waiting for the boss to come in. It was almost twelve, about eleven thirty actually, so we wouldn't have to wait that long.

We found a seat over by the fire place they had going in the middle of the room. It wasn't a very big place. There were only about ten tables in there, lining the walls. In the middle there was a two sided fire that burned no matter what side you sat on. However, on the side closest the door there were brown couches that encircled the coffee table sitting in front of the mantle, occasionally being hit by embers from the fire popping.

"Hey Bella! Hi Angela!" I heard an excited soprano voice say. I turned to see a dark haired, pixie like girl standing in front of me in dark skinny jeans, a white sweater, a black scarf and gray knit boots that came up to her ankles. Her hair was spiky and she was beaming at us from the corner of the couch.

"Um, hi. I don't actually think we've ever met." I said, holding out my hand. "I'm Bella, though you seemed to know that already."

"Oh," she said as if she realized what I was saying was true. "Sorry, you're just in alot of my classes and my brother knows you, I'm Alice." she said with a sweet smile.

"That's Edward Cullen's sister." Angela said as Alice sat down, thinking she couldn't hear. But my the way she silently snickered I could tell that she did.

"Oh." I said and my mind searched for the things she might know about me per Edward. For instance, how I might look in pajamas.

"How are you guys?" she said. We talked for awhile about school and classmates, and of course our continuing job search.

"Oh, well, I'm sure you guys will find something soon." she smiled. I really liked Alice Cullen. She seemed, with no other words to simply describe it, perfect. Just the right amount of nice and sass. The perfectly proportioned face and body.

Eventually we got on the subject of clothes and fashion. I didn't know that Alice was majoring in fashion and design, but before she told us I could tell by the way she took over the conversation in an instant.

"I had no idea," Angela said, responding to something Alice had said about a fashion designer with a French name that I couldn't have pronounced to save my life.

The one thing that is strange about Angela, and you wouldn't know it to look at her, is that she loves fashion. While she doesn't really care how she dresses as long as she looks okay, she does like to keep up with trends around the world. I'm sure that, if she had the funds to, she would buy all the expensive clothes from designer labels that were imported from Spain and France and wherever else things were in style.

Alice gasped. "You know what would be some much fun? If we all went shopping sometime." she had a look of joy on her face, a a sparkle in her eyes.

"That would be fun." Angela agreed with the same tone of excitement.

"What do you say Bella?" Alice asked. I hadn't realized they were planning on including me until she did.

"Um, sure. That sounds like we would all have a great time." I said, trying to sound as enthused as possible. I wanted ot go with them, maybe I would have fun, but the thing was that I hated going shopping. I couldn't stand looking at huge racks of clothes for hours and hearing pointless questions. Pink or red? Does this make me look fat? What do you think of this top? I didn't really care, as long as the clothing fit reasonably, it didn't really matter to me. However, Alice was a Cullen. Maybe there would be mention of Edward and if he'd spoken of me.

"Bella, you don't have to go if you don't want to." Angela said quietly as Alice bent over in her bag to answer her ringing phone.

"I want to go." I told her, trying to lie but failing. I knew Angela realized why I wanted to go. I just hoped she realized that it wasn't because I actually liked Edward. Because I didn't.

"Hey, guys. Sorry, but I have to go. I have a class in about ten minutes."

"Oh, well, I guess we'll see you soon then." Angela said and I nodded in agreeance.

"Okay, well if it works for you guys we could go to the mall on Saturday. Have a total girls day out. Ooh, then end with movies at my place."

"Sounds awesome. What time?" I asked.

"Well, how about I'll get you guys from your dorm at eleven. I'll get the dorm number from Edward, I'm sure he remembers it."

Remembers. That means he told her about his visit earlier this afternoon. However, it was also spread across tons of neon flyers still lingering around the college from the party.

"Okay, we'll be ready." Angela said with a smiled.

Alice beamed, "Awesome. I'll see you soon." she waved a goodbye and then was on her way out the doors of the building.

* * *

**Remember to check out the writing schedule on my profile! I'll be updating here every Monday so be sure to stop by and read!**

**Remember to review!**

**lots. of. love.**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift  



	7. Chapter 7:Whispering Something Inaudible

**Enjoy this chapter! The next one will be up on time next week!**

**lots. of. love. **

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift **

**

* * *

**

_"She won't make a sound_

_Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down_

_She wants to be found_

_The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down."_

~Superchick.

~Stand in the Rain.

* * *

"Edward!" Alice walked in my dorm. I was writing, mid thought, and it was lost in the city of my mind when she stormed in, closing the door behind her. I was sitting at my desk, my back to her.

"What're you doing here Alice?" I asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Well wouldn't you like to know." she said her tone teasing. I tried to read her thoughts but got nothing. She was blocking me, thinking the only language I didn't know.

I turned to face her then. I read her expression. It was too happy for there to be something wrong so I wondered what had brought her here so late. "Alice?" I said in an accusing tone of voice. I always got nervous when Alice played these games. I was afraid that she had tried to help with something and really just ended up making a mess of everything.

"Come sit with me?" she asked gesturing to the two chairs in the middle of the room around a coffee table. I rolled my eyes and got up to sit across from her.

"I know you went to go see Bella yesterday." she said, putting her bag down beside her chair and crossing her legs, her hands folded on her knees.

"Yes...Did you talk to her?" she shrugged. "Alice, if you said something to tip her off then-"

"Don't worry, everything's fine and your date is still on." she smiled and I calmed down a bit. However, the lingering thought that I had a date with Bella still got my nerves.

"Then why did you come here?" I asked her. She paused, testing me. I gave her a look that said she better tell me or else.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I just thought that you would like to know that I made plans to go shopping with her and Angela Webber this Saturday."

She was smiling and I could feel my expression turn into that of panic. Her face soon wore a frown.

"Edward, what's wrong I-"

"If you say one wrong thing she could be scared away forever and never want to talk to me again."

"I promise that I won't let anything like that happen." she said with complete honesty in her eyes.

I contemplated this for a moment. Alice wasn't the best at keeping promises, especially ones like this. Now that I had to trust her with the fact that I had some strange pull to Bella Swan, I guess I would have to put a little more faith in her.

"I believe you." I said and she smiled.

The rest of her visit was filled with her chatter mostly. Prattling on about students I barely knew, though she claimed they were quite aware of me, talking about assignments I had done hundreds of times and talking about wrinkled professors who were younger than me.

She stayed for awhile. Almost a full two hours, but then decided to leave. Jasper had wanted to go hunting and she wanted to go with him. Besides, I had to get ready for my _date._

"I'll see you later Edward. Make sure you call me and tell me how it goes. Me and Jasper will be back before three so we'll have plenty of time to talk about everything that happened."

"Okay, thanks Alice." I said and she leaned in to give me a hug. She pulled away and was heading for the door.

"Bye then. Good lu-" she stopped mid word and then looked down, seeing something far away.

"Alice?" she shook her head, something that normally pulled her out of her visions, but this time it just made her dizzy. She stumbled and I caught her before she could fall. "Alice."

I walked her over to a chair and she numbly sat down. After almost five minutes she looked up at me.

"When were you supposed to meet Bella?" she said, her, just, lighthearted tone vanished.

"Seven, an hour from now. Why?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." she said dumbfounded, falling back in her seat. I didn't quite understand, but I knew it wasn't good. "All I saw was water and Bella with Angela and Jessica." she paused. "And-Mike's there, but he's holding a knife. And I hear screaming." her face scrunched. "And, there's alot of blood."

"We have to go to his place." I said, going over to grab my jacket from the hook next to the door.

"What? Edward," I was just opening the door, but she had her back against it in a flash. "You cannot go there!"

"Why not?" I asked, teeth clenched.

"Because there's blood, Bella's most likely. And you know you'll lose control."

"He deserves it." I said, reaching around her, pulling the door open only to have it closed again.

"Edward," she said and captured me with her eyes. "You're going to kill him if you go to his house, you know that." she paused. "No one deserves to die."

"Even people who think it's fun to torture girls and keep them captive? Alice, I can't let him do that." she looked down, rethinking.

"Then I'm coming with you." she said.

"Alice, you-"

"No, I'm going. Either we're in it together or not at all. Take your pick."

"Let's go." I said, she backed away and we walked out of the building.

* * *

"So have you thought about what you're going to wear tonight?" Angela asked me. She plopped down on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn behind me. I was at the computer typing an essay for English class.

"No." I said, glancing back at her. "Should I be?" she looked shocked and I laughed. "I think I'll just where my blue sweater with my black jeans."

There was a pause. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"You wear that all the time."

"Because it's comfortable and familiar, and that's just what I need tonight. Familiarity and comfort." she rolled her eyes and then turned on the T.V. to see what was on.

I then realized I didn't have any real idea of the time. I checked the time in the bottom corner, but, as always, didn't believe it unless it was on my phone.

"Have you seen my phone?" I asked.

"Uh, at the coffee shop you put it in your jeans right?" I had changed into sweats when I got home.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll go find them." I got up and went to the bathroom where I had changed. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and noticed that I had a new voice mail from Jessica.

I entered in my password and listened to the message.

After the sound stopped my heart did too. I was frightened beyond belief, and chilled ot the bone.

"Angela." I rushed into the living room.

"What's wrong? Why're you freaking?" I pressed the number seven to replay it.

"We have to go to his house." I said and she shook her head.

"Why would I put myself in that situation for Jessica Stanley of all people? We could call the police and not be putting our lives in danger."

"It's the right thing to do." I said. "And I'm going to help someone who doesn't deserve to be treated like that."

"Bella, wait." she said as I grabbed my jacket and opened the door.

"Tell Edward I'll call him later." I said as I slammed the door shut. I was walking down the hallway, pushing through shuffling bodies when she caught up to me.

"Did you lock the door?" I asked.

"Yep." she said as we pushed through the school doors and got into the car.

"Good."

* * *

_Jessica's voice mail_

I turned on the water loudly and whispered straight into the speaker of the phone. "Bella," I said in a tone that was barely audible. "I need your help." I spoke quickly. "I'm at Mike's and I have been since the day I left. I just got a hold of his phone. He's not letting me go, he says that if I try to call the police then he'll kill me. I'm scared, and I'm cold, and I'm hurt and I need help now and I don't know what to do and-" I started to cry, realizing how pathetic I sounded. "Bella, I will never ask you for anything ever agin if you just find someway to help me. I can't-"

I heard footsteps. "He's coming." I said and put the phone in the corner.

"Who are you talking to?" He screamed at me.

"No one." I said, tears starting to overflow.

"What did I say about the crying?" he screamed and grabbed my arm. I yanked it away, only to be picked up by my hair and flung into the wall. I screamed the entire time as he cursed at me.

"Help!" I screamed. He dragged me by my ankles and pulled me out of the shower where he had been keeping me.

*the phone hears nothing but the sound of water running and static until someone picks it up. There is heavy breathing in the receiver and then a voice whispering something inaudible. Then it's snapped shut*


	8. Chapter 8:Good Actors

**Hello readers! I apologize greatly for the lateness of this chapter. In case you haven't read my profile lately, my computer was infected with viruses for the last month and completely unusable. Right now, it's running only a little slow, so I'm back to my usual updatings. Thank you for reading while I was away! Enjoy the chapter and, hey, leave a review if you love, care, hate, or despise. **

**lots. of. love.**

** PLT!**

~AliceSwift 

* * *

_"So pretty._

_So smart._

_Such a waste of a young heart."_

_~Satellite Heart. _

_~Anya Marina. _

The roads were slick with rain that had fallen earlier and drizzled a bit now. Lights of different colors splashed the ground like paint on black paper, making the pavement look like a portrait. Inside Angela's car was warm and comfortable in comparison to how the outside world felt. Cold, wet, and shivering.

We drove in silence. The only noises were those telling me to stop speeding down the street; angry drivers honking their horns, sometimes rolling down their windows at reds lights to yell at me. But by now, I was only ten minutes away from Mike's and there was no chance I was slowing down.

As I turned a corner, my tires squealing in pain, Angela broke her quiet.

"Bella, think about what you're doing." she said, her tone telling me I was naive for thinking I could accomplish what I had set out to.

"I have and nothing you can say will stop me from doing it."

"We could call the police and tell them what's happening, they are there to help us if we need it. Right now we're in need of help."

"There has to be a reason Jess didn't call the police. She called me and-" I kept my eyes on the road even though her stare at me burned holes in my face.

"And that doesn't mean it's your job to save her."

"But what happens if I don't Angela?" I glanced at her and saw that she was scared and worried. I was too but if I acted like I wasn't then the fear would lessen.

"I'm not-"

"If I don't go and get her then how will I feel? How will you feel knowing that you stopped me? What if someone finds her, days from now, in a ditch dead? What if she does life through whatever Mike is doing to her and never speaks to us again because we didn't even try to help her out?"

"It's Jessica Stanely we're talking about. Would it really be that big of a loss if she didn't?" she asked, raising her voice.

"Yes." I said. "It would be. Because while Jessica may not be nice she's still human. While the things she did when living with us might have been selfish she never intended to hurt us. And when she left, did you ever think that perhaps she was just trying to seem as though she wasn't pathetic for going back to her ex boyfriend who treated her like crap? She has good intentions most of the time. How would I feel if I didn't try to help her after she thought she was helping me?"

"There are other ways to get her out." Anglea said.

"Name one." she just looked at me and I pulled up three houses down from Mike's. I didn't want him to hear I was coming.

"Stay here if you want to feel guilty for the rest of your life. Jessica may not know that you were even here tonight. She called me not you so as long as I help her, you're in the green. But you will know. And so will I." I got out of the car and pushed the door until it clicked quietly, saying it was closed.

I ran softly down the sidewalk until I was in front of Mike's house. It was fairly large in size. Two stories, possibly a third under ground. So while it looked nice to live in, I couldn't help but feel disgusted about what was going on inside of it.

I tried to think back to the day Jess came to my dorm, tears in her eyes saying Mike had kicked her out. That night she had described his house to us, saying that it wasn't nearly as nice as her parents house but that when you're a college student it's really nice.

I tried to think of where she said the bathroom was, since there was water in her voice mail, possibly a shower. Nothing came back to me, I suppose I was only half listening that night.

I stepped onto the grass, green with life and squishing with wetness. I wandred softly, trying to be quiet, around to the back of the house when I heard the sound of water hitting the ground. I turned a corner to see a pipe leaking on the back of the house.

I leaned up against the wall and heard two things, a running shower and soft sobs.

I knocked softly on the window and the crying stopped abruptly.

"Jess." I whisper yelled.

I saw her shadow slowly creep up from the bottom of the window. She parted the blinds only a little and then weakly smiled at me. Her face was pale, her hair was tattered and possibly even cut in a few places, her cheeks and eyes were covered in hives from fallinf tears. There were red gashes on her face, neck, and shoulders. She stood only in her underwear.

"Are you okay?" I said in the same tone as before. She nodded, not able to say anything, or so I assumed.

"Where's Mike?" tears came to her eyes and she shrugged.

There was a bang and curses yelled from the other side of the house. I flinched, but she didn't.

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise." she smiled and tears welled over, spreading down her cheeks.

I ran to where I'd heard the noises and peered through a window. All I saw was Mike on the ground, a broken bottle of beer next to him, and a giant rock above his head. Blood gushed from his left temple and spread across the dirty tile floor.

I ran around to the front door and saw Angela at the window, trying to unlock it from the inside so she could climb into the living room. The living room which lead straight into the middle of the kitchen where Mike was.

"Ange." I said and ran to her. She jumped at the sound of my voice and cut her arm on the broken glass. "It's just me." I said quickly. She squinted her eyes, vision adjusting to the dark.

"Help me open this." she said. I ran around the back to tell Jessica to unlock the door. She gave me a weary look, but then nodded, knowing that if I even came here she could trust me. The door was unlock and Angela and I were inside in only a minute.

"How'd you do that?" I asked Angela who was holding her arm.

"I don't know. I was running up to the window to see if I could hear anything and was too loud I guess. He saw me and I grabbed a rock that was next to me, threw it towards him, and he fell to the gorund." It was lucky for us that Angela had four brothers, two older, two younger, and was raised to have all star aim. She shrugged and I smiled at her before quickly turning to Jessica.

"Okay, let's get out of here. I parked a few houses away, but-" I grabbed her wrist and started explaining, but stopped when she didn't move.

I turned back and looked at her with confusion. Her eyes were sad, arms crossed over her chest.

"Bella, if I leave he'll just come after me again."

"We can call the police and tell them what he's done. He'll be sent to jail and you'll never have to see him again if you don't want to. You can come with us now and everything will be okay."

"I'll have to see him again, though. He won't stop until he gets his revenge on me, he never will." she looked as if she was going to continue but I stopped her. She was being ridiculous.

"You can't stay-"

"I know." she nodded, smacking her lips, trying not to cry.

"Then how will _you _stop him?" Angela asked. Jess looked at her, scared.

She hesitated, took a deep breath and then spoke, galncing between the two of us. "There's a _huge, thick _dagger-like knife upstairs in the top of his closet." she spoke as if she knew it well. I didn't ask about the tone, the scars speaking for her. "If we can get it before he comes to then-"

"Then what will we do with it? Kill him?" I asked. Tears ran silently down Jessica's face and she nodded. "Listen, I know that he hurt you and broke your heart and kept you here for almost a week. And, I agree, that he does need to suffer because of that. But we can't just kill Mike."

She thought for a moment then looked at my eyes. "Then I will." she turned and headed towards the hallway. I glanced at Angela and we followed her. "You two can home and call the police. I'll say it was self defense when I killed him. As long as you two keep your mouths shut it'll appear just as so." She turned and went up a set of stairs.

"Jess, this is still Mike. You dated him for a long time, almost a year right? You had great times together. You had tons of fun times and even better times when the fights were over and ended. You went on dates and kissed and hugged and held hands and-"

"And he fought with me and beat me and accused me of things I would never do." I was taken aback by what she'd said but she kept walking. Her comfort with such a thing was, perhaps, one of the most disgusting parts of this entire incident.

"What?"

"Did I ever tell you why Mike and I broke up?" I shook my head and she stopped in front of a door in the middle of the hallway. She shook the doorknob and when it wouldn't turn she kicked the bottom of it. "Damn it!" she started crying.

"Why did you break up?" I asked. She turned at me, fury burning bright in her expression. She rolled her eyes and then started looking in the hallway for things to unlock or break the door.

"Mike and I started dating in the sophmore year of high school." she started. "It was nice for a few months but he cheated on me with some blonde haired skank. When I tried to break up with him he hit me and told him that we would never break up. As the years went by I realized that the more I acted like I was happy, the better he treated me. There were times that I tried to get away from him but he always brought me back in, every time."

"What about when you came and lived with us? What made you two break up then?" she still searched for and object to break the door.

"He accused me of cheating on him, even though he's had tons of girlfriends during our...time together, and he did really kick me out. I just knew that if somehow he found out that when I came to you, asking for a bed to sleep in, that I wasn't upset he would be even more furious and who knows what he would've done then."

"But you two seemed so happy." I asked as she finally took a heavy looking shelf off the wall, spilling the contense of it to floor.

"Yeah, we're good actors." She threw it at the henges that knocked it off the first two, she pushed it open and walked in the room.

It smelled terrible and the floor was cluttered with trash. Girls in awkward positions hung on the walls and the T.V. in the corner was fuzzy.

"So why did you come back?" Angela asked.

She ripped open the closet doors and reached up high. "What would've happened if I hadn't?" She finally pulled down a sharp, shiny knife and held it in her hands. "We may appear to be a good couple, but in all reality it's a pretty messed up situation."

There was a crash on the stairs and a slur being called out. "Jessssicccccaaaaa! Where are you?" an eruption of laughter burst out and echoed through the walls.

I looked to see if she was even phased by this, but she wasn't. The I realized that she hadn't been phased by any of this at all. Apparetnly it was only serious enough to call for help. As for the smashing, the hurt, the hits, the pain, these were things that she had been through for the past few years of her _life_. This wasn't a horror story or a movie she was telling us about. She had lived through this, wasting years that she could never get back.

Would she regret that? Maybe. Did she deserve revenge? Damned if she didn't. Would she get hers? I guess we would find out.

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**Let me know what you thought! See you next Monday!**

**lots. of. love. **

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift 


	9. Chapter 9:Speak

**Hey guys! Here's a pointless author's note and a rather disturbing chapter of College Life.**

**lots. of. love. **

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift 

* * *

_"What a pity._

_What a sham._

_What's the matter with you man?"_

_~Satellite Heart._

_~Anya Marina._

Alice and I ran through the woods to his house. I only hoped we had been fast enough.

I ran up to the front door and stopped, Alice behind me instantly. I looked at her then back down at what I'd seen previously.

A hole had been smashed in the glass of the fornt window. The smell of blood was thick in the air and I held my breath. Alice shot me a look of worry.

_Edward, we don't have to do this. We can turn back if you want to. _she thought.

I shook my head and she nodded, understandingly.

"Let's go." I said running into her house. I heard voices up the stais. Jessica telling something of her past with Mike. Angela asking questions trying to understand more clearly why she would put herself through that type of torture. A smell like no other that, even with my breath held, made my mouth seep venom. Then Bella's voice.

There was a huge crash on the stairs and I fled to them, Alice on my tail.

I saw Mike standing there, baseball bat in one hand, beer in the other. He was stumbling up the steps and slurring his words out.

"Jessssicccccaaaaa! Where are you?" he laughed insanely and I walked behind him up the steps. I wanted to see what he was doing, not wanting to believe my eyes, before I took action and gave myself away.

I stopped at the top of the steps though Mike fled to the hallway. I heard gasps and his footsteps stopped so I could only think that he was in with the girls. I walked on towards where he had gone and looked around the corner of the door slightly.

"Now Jessica, I know you love sleepovers but you really should ask next time." he said, I heard a sucking noise and saw that he was kissing her collarbone.

"I'm sorry Mike." she said, her tone flat yet weak.

"You should be." he said, throwing her to the bed, her head hit the wall behind her.

I was about to go in but Alice stopped me and caught my arm.

_No, Jessica's dealt with Mike before. Maybe she knows how to handle him in a way that we can't. _

"This is my house bitch! I told you never to invite anyone over without permisson!" he screamed at her, spitting in her face as the words flowed out in one big slur.

"I know I'm sorry." he slapped her. She closed her eyes and held her breath before looking at him again.

"Don't be." he smiled as he caressed her face. "I know just the way you and your friends could make it up to me." he walked over to Angela and she cringed away from him.

I concentrated on her thoughts to block out his. As much as I hated putting Angela at risk, I had to over myself and my family. If Jessica, Angela, and Bella found out that I was a vampire only the worst could follow. So I stayed hidden.

"Please don't." she said quietly, shrinking away from him as her neared her. He slurred a string of curses at her that are too horrible to repeat. So horrible that she started to cry. Her thoughts screamed though the only noises she actually made were those of her sobs.

Jessica sat on the bed edging slowly to the end. Bella glanced frantically at her, unsure of what to do with her friend who was being attacked.

"Mike! Wait!" Bella said quickly.

He looked up at her slowly. Their eyes met and I could see Bella become suddenly uncertain of her choice to speak out.

"Oh, Bella." he said as he sauntered over to her. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that Bella wasn't going to get hurt.

"Mike just stop." she said with a begging tone in her voice.

"I've been watching you." he said, though I'm not sure she coul understand him. "And now I know you've been watching me too."

"No, I just want you to let us go." she said trying to reason.

"So what?" he spat. "So you can go out and call the cops? So you can tell the world I'm angry at them?" He pasued. "I don't think so." he stumbled towards her and fell on her. His hands on her body, his mouth on hers.

_Edward, no! _Alice's thoughts warned me but I didn't care. I ran into the room and pulled him off Bella, throwing him backwards into the bathroom across the hall.

"What the hell!" Mike screamed as his head hit the tile walls.

"How dare you think you can treat these girls in such a way like you have!" I yelled at him. My forearm crossed his neck and the other held his arms twisted behind his back.

He just stared at me, though his lips moved, trying to form words just not having the air for sound.

"I know you were at the party with Bella. I saw what you did to her, or tried anyways."

"That was you!" his raspy voice screeched at me. I nodded and continued.

"You can't treat people, especially women, like that! Have you ever even thought about how they feel?"

His face was purple. I pressed harder and harder on his neck then heard Alice behind me.

"Edward, let him go." she tried to pry me away from his throat. "Edward!" she yelled as I persisted. I finally let off and he fell to the floor.

I turned to see her, eyes wide three girls behind her watching me. Jessica, Angela, and Bella.

"I'm going to take the girls back to Bella's dorm. Can you call the police?"

"No." Jessica said.

"What?" I asked, confused and frustrated.

"He'll come after me. If we call the police he'll break out of whatever jail they put him in and come for me. God only knows what he'll do to me then." I thought I saw tears form in her eyes. She neared Mike's body on the floor slowly.

I saw alot of memories flash in her mind, all with Mike. The times he'd beaten her or hurt her. The times he'd raped her but he didn't know she didn't want to because she was afraid to speak her mind. The time she realized when he was cursing at her that she'd gone numb and nothing he did phased her anymore. Then, the time a few years later when she realized that when numbness took over slef pity, anger was next. Her thoughts had a bitter sweet taste of fury under them. Bitter because she had at one time loved Mike, sweet because he'd put her through hell.

Alice looked scared and I read her mind to see what Jessica was going to do.

"Jess no!" Bella screamed but Jessica ran and plunged a knife into Mike's back.

He screamed out in pain and blood stained his back. I glanced at Alice who quickly ushered Angela and Bella out of the room.

"That's what you get for hurting me." she said, taking out the knife and pushing it in again. "For raping me." And again. "For pushing me." And again. "For calling me a bitch." And again. "And so many other disgusting names." And again.

"Jessica." I said, holding her arms as she continued to stab him. She slowed and tears spilled over her eyes.

Seh was hysterical. Out of her mind.

"He hurt me so much and I let him." she said, crying into me. I could tell that, for once, she wasn't trying to make a move on me. She honestly just needed comforting and I was the only one here to offer it.

"I know." I said, trying to be soothing.

"No, you don't. No one does." he hand gripped the knife that she held and brought it closer to her chest. "I've lost so many years that I'll never be able to get back because I let him treat me like shit." She sobbed, rattling her small rib cage.

I'd give her some of my years if I could. No matter who it was no one deserved to be treated like that.

"Jess," I said and reached for her hand, covered in blood. "Give me the knife." she shook her head against my chest as her hand grew closer to hers.

"No." she protested. "I'm tired of people telling me what to do. I'm done." she said.

"No. Jessica you can't do this to yourself. You have so much in front of you."

"Like what?" she asked. I could smell new blood in the air and noticed that she had made a small cut on her throat. Her pulse quickened trying to pump more blood.

"I'm not sure _I _can tell you." I said, trying to hold my breath without her noticing I stopped breathing, though I think her thought process would've over come anything I was doing.

"So you're a liar then?" she asked, sobs stopping.

"No, I just-"

"More lies. That's all I've been told from every man I've ever trusted. Lies and tall tales of things that aren't true." she made another slit going diagnol across the other.

"Just give me the knife." I said trying to get if away from her without her stabbing herself.

"It's not like you care. You're just here because you're in love with Bella and if I get hurt she'll somehow blame you."

"Bella cares, even if I don't know you, she'd be disappointed to see you go."

"No, she'd just be mad at you for letting me. That'd be her focus, not my death." I heard the skin above her collar bone rip open as she started to make a small hole in her chest.

"People care Jessica."

"Liar." she screamed and threw the knife at herself.

The blood overtook the room. I stood up and saw two people, dying in front of my eyes on the floor. They loved and hurt together but it wasn't a love story that had led them to their tragic end.

I could only save one of them, walking into the hospital with two bleeding teenagers in my arms would look _too _suspicious.

"Lies." I heard Jessica whisper.

I picked her up in my arms and ran away with her.

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**Thanks for reading! Leave a review telling me what you think! I'll see you all next Monday, possibly the same time, definitely the same place. In the mean time, tell me what you think Edward and Bella's next conversation will be...**

**lots. of. love.**

**PLT!**

~AliceSwift 


	10. Chapter 10:You'd Be Surprised

**Hey guys! I know that it's a Wednesday but I haven't updated in awhile so I guess I'll start with this one. I think I'll also try to update the rest of my stories too before Saturday. So, here we go. Enjoy!**

**lots. of. love. **

**PLT!**

**~AliceSwift**

**p.s. By the way, sorry, but I couldn't find lyrics since this chapter is sort of simple. Sorry!**

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We took Angela's car back to our dorm, Alice drove, faster than what our safety called for but I couldn't focus my mind well enough to gather words so I could tell her to slow down.

Angela sat in the back, quiet and barely there. She was still sniffling tears back, more from fright than anything else, but was otherwise silent. I was sitting next to Alice, though now I'd wished that I had chosen the space next to Ange.

I wanted to say something, something that would comfort everyone and make them calm, but Alice's face stopped me. Her lips kept twitching as if she was saying something to herself, though I didn't hear a sound escape her lips. Her eyes kept changing also, as though she was reasoning something. I watched her for a moment, contemplating what I could say, until I decided not to say anything at all because chances were, she wouldn't listen and anything I really wanted to tell Angela could wait until later, out of Alice's sight.

We finally pulled up to the college, our building, I unlocked my doors and got out, as did Angela. But Alice sat there, a blank expression on her face, looking into the distance.

"What is she doing?" Ange asked me. I shook my head.

"How should I know?" I asked, probably coming across more sharp than I meant to. I gave Angela and apologetic look. She nodded. "I'm just-" I paused, looking for the words. Frustrated. Confused. Worried beyond belief. None of them fit properly. "I don't know." I shook my head. Alice opened the door and walked up to us.

"Would you mind if I stayed until Edward comes and picks me up?" she asked. I gave her a confused look. When had she spoken to Edward about these arrangements? "He just texted me. He took Jess to the hospital."

I glanced at Angela who shrugged in exhaustion, probably just wanting her head on a pillow, as did I. "Um, sure. Yes, come on in." I nodded towards the door and walked that way.

I walked into the dorm and quickly change into sweats and a thin tee shirt before falling onto the couch, as did Angela. The normalcy of this in comparison to the foreign feel of Mike's and what had just happened blew my mind. What had just happened had been one of the most disturbing things that I'd ever witnessed. Now, through my sleepy thoughts, I couldn't help but wonder- did everyone else go through things that devastating? Or would this seem horrific to anyone?

I drifted in and out of sleep and my thoughts ran rampant. I would have my eyes closed for what felt like only a second, then awake with the sound of Jess' screams or Mike's slurs. My eyes would shoot open and I would realize that it'd been hours.

Ange was fast asleep, her head next to my feet, and Alice was lying on the floor, face towards the front of the couch. Her eyes were closed and her lips were closed in a line. The circles under her eyes made her look more like a corpse than human. I looked at Angela again, then back at Alice and picked out differences between the two. Ange's expression was twisted to interpret whatever she was dreaming, yet Alice's was smooth and emotionless. Alice remained perfectly still while Angela would twitch or flinch every few minutes. Angela took deep breaths, that almost sounded like sighs, yet Alice's rib cage was still, not moving, not breathing.

I looked her over for any sign of breathing when she shot up and the door swung open, letting a thick stream of light through. A motionless shadow stood in the doorway before walking in. I couldn't hear the steps but the shadow grew fuzzier until the door was shut. I shut my eyes closed tightly and hoped no one had noticed.

There was silence and I opened my eyes a little, not enough that anyone would notice but enough to see. Alice sat up straight, looking as fresh as she did before she laid down almost three hours ago, and was looking at Edward who stood tall above her. Her mouthed something quickly, or at least I thought he did. His mouth opened and closed so fast my blurry mind might have imagined it. He must have though, because she rolled her eyes, though there was a small smile on her lips, and Edward left the room.

Alice messed her hair up a little and smudged her still perfect make-up, now looking as if she had slept for awhile. She looked at me, and I shut my eyes tight. She reached over and tapped me on the shoulder. I pretended as if I had no idea what was happening, which, in reality, I didn't.

"Bella." her high voice whispered.

"What?" I yawned and stretched. Angela groaned as my toes pushed into her side.

"Edward's here. He wants to talk to you before we go home." she smiled and I felt the sides of my mouth twinge. I guess I was too tired still to put together a full smile on my face.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Outside." her slim finger pointed to the door. "I'll give you guys a minute." she smirked and I nodded, swinging my legs over carefully and standing up to walk outside.

I pushed open the glass doors that lead outside to the parking lot and there he stood, leaning up against his silver Volvo in a gray coat. A smile came half way across his lips and then turned back down.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yes." he said, slowly, his mouth slightly open as if searching for the words to say.

"Just tell me." I said and he smiled again. I scoffed. "Edward this isn't something to laugh about. Mike's dead and Jess is in the hospital."

"Mike deserved it." he said, suddenly serious.

"Still." I started before thinking back to how Alice had to come between the two. If she hadn't Edward might have killed Mike himself, as opposed to letting Jessica do it. I also thought about what had been said. About the party. "What did you mean?" I asked.

"When?" he replied.

"When you were yelling at Mike. You were talking about the party and how he was with me. Something he tried to do to me?" I shook my head in confusion. "What did you mean?"

He eyed me for a moment. "Do you remember anything from that night Bella? The night of the party." I thought back for a moment before admitting to myself that I didn't. I shook my head and he scoffed, a wry smirk crossing his mouth. "Of course." he spoke to himself.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head. "Edward I need to know. Just tell me please." I took a step closer to him and he did the opposite, backing away a pace.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I started to turn away. "I'll send Alice out."

"Wait." he said and I turned again, raising my eyebrows. "Um, Jessica will be in the hospital for roughly three days. No one knows about Mike yet and I figure it'll be enough time for her to check out of her room and move back in with you and Angela if that would be alright."

"And after that?" I suggested.

"Well, I suppose someone would've noticed Mike's absence by then so people will turn to Jessica for answers. Since she'll go to jail if she tells the truth she'll have to lie." he looked up at me and I finally understood what he meant.

"Are you saying we'll hide his body?"

"I'll hide his body. Beyond comforting Jessica and making sure she doesn't try to kill herself like she did tonight after you left, you have no part in this, besides keeping up the story of course."

I looked at him in shock. "Are you insane?" He looked startled. "We can't lie about his death. People just don't go around hiding bodies and lying about killing people."

"You'd be surprised." he countered.

"And I suppose you'd be surprised to learn how wrong this is." he waited for me to finish. "Mike, crazy as he might have been, had a family who knew the good side of him. He had friends who will miss him and wonder where he's been for days. And you're just going to lie to all those people, saying he went down as a missing persons."

"Listen, if you're not up for this I have a plan B." he said and I was a little surprised.

"What's that? Something else just as crazy I presume."

He smirked and his eyes glowed despite how dark it was outside. "Yes, or something like that." I gave him a look, pressing him for information. "I'll tell you about it on our date." I was confused for only a moment before I remembered that we'd had dinner plans tonight.

"Oh, right." I smiled slightly and then felt terrible about it. "Um, yeah. When?"

"How about tomorrow, same time? If someone else's murder doesn't prevent that, of course." He smiled wryly and I couldn't help but smile as well.

"I expect I'll receive these answers then?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Sure." he nodded. I rolled my eyes and turned back towards my building.

"Goodnight Bella." he called.

"Goodnight." I said back to him. Alice beamed at me as she passed me through the door way. When I turned to make sure she got in the car, all I saw were the Volvo taillights, pulling out of the parking lot.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**lots. of. love. **

**PLT! **

**~AliceSwift **


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